Takeaways: WVU Baseball Beats Oklahoma State Thanks to Leonard, Reed

WVU Baseball notched a 6-3 statement win in the first game of their series at No. 18 Oklahoma State. Catcher Dayne Leonard logged a strong performance after struggling to begin conference play, and Carlson Reed carried the Mountaineers to victory against a potent Cowboys team. 

Leonard Bounces Back

After an outstanding first two months of the season, Leonard hit just .192 through the first six conference games. He bounced back in a big way Friday, going 3-for-5 with two RBI (including the RBI that won the game). For a team that has struggled to get hits in the clutch over the past two weeks, Leonard’s resurgence came at the perfect time. 

Instead of standing by helplessly as the Cowboys clawed their way back into the game, the Mountaineers—and Leonard—managed to keep pace, maintaining a comfortable lead on the way to their three-run victory. 

Reed Shuts the Door

Reed entered in the bottom of the seventh with the Mountaineers holding on to a two-run lead. He didn’t waste any time setting the tone, striking out the side on 11 pitches. Reed ran into trouble in the eighth, with runners on second and third with just one out, but worked another punchout and a groundout against the heart of the Cowboys’ lineup to put up another scoreless frame. Finally, Reed slammed the door shut with a perfect ninth, finishing his day with six strikeouts across three scoreless innings on 47 pitches.

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— WVU Baseball (@WVUBaseball) April 15, 2023

Watching Out for Wetherholt

Superstar second baseman JJ Wetherholt hurt his hand in the seventh inning sliding into second base on a steal. He continued playing for the moment, coming around to score on a Leonard single, but left the game before the bottom of the inning. 

The Mountaineers haven’t made any announcement regarding the injury, so we don’t know yet whether the move was precautionary or if Wetherholt will miss some time. 

Wetherholt went 3-for-4 with a walk, a home run and two runs scored in seven innings on Friday. West Virginia’s offense contains threats throughout the lineup, but even with a stellar offense, losing one of the best hitters in college baseball for any amount of time hurts.